Now that I have had some free time, I’ve been able to take a few more pictures of what’s happening in the garden lately. Even though October’s chill has arrived, most of the plants here haven’t blinked an eye. In fact, the only thing that has signaled the end of the growing season is the Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac tree). The leaves are a brilliant red that contrasts very nicely with the jungle of green that exists otherwise. However, that is not the point of this post.
Here in southwest Washington state we still have a lot of gardening to do this year. In honor of all the work that lies ahead, I thought I’d share photos of plants that are blue (the color that I wish the sky was…).
Centaurea cyanus (Blue Bachelor’s Button) is still hanging on with one flower.
Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Hoffman’s Blue’ (Dalmation Bellflower) is quite a mouthful when you say it out loud. Go ahead, try it.
Agapanthus africanus (Lily of the Nile) is a huge surprise for me. Back in March (click here to see how surprised I was) I was surprised when it poked a few leaves out of the ground instead of burping up a puddle of plant mush. It has grown by leaps and bounds this year, on minimal watering. I didn’t fertilize it, and didn’t pay attention to it. Yet it survived and thrived. Supposedly they are finicky when it comes to blooming. I say otherwise.
This last one is not a flower. The leaves of Eucalyptus gunnii ‘Silver Drop’ are so chilly looking that they fit right in with this post. Originally only a dollar, this little tree is worth it’s weight in gold now that it has grown… which still isn’t much. But hey, it looks great next to a banana leaf!
Big Leaves 